1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the wheel alignment art and more particularly relates to a wheel clamp which engages a wheel to support a wheel aligning tool in a plane generally parallel to the plane of the wheel rim.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Wheel clamps of varying design have long been used to support a wheel aligning device in a plane parallel to the plane of the wheel rim. Typically, a clamp will have three or four rim-engaging fingers adapted to grasp a peripheral lip extending around the wheel rim and projecting outwardly therefrom. Such a wheel clamp is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,475,502, issued on July 5, 1949 to Holmes.
Wheel clamps of the type which grasp the wheel rim, while generally adequate for small diameter automobile wheels, often fail to adhere to the large diameter wheels found on trucks and other heavy duty equipment. As the diameter of the wheel increases, it becomes more difficult to maintain a rigid frame structure, and stress placed on the frame is more likely to remove said frame from the rim. It is therefore desirable to provide a wheel clamp which will attach firmly to the wheel of any diameter and of any configuration.